know what the site is known for? >> maybe that is a little dramatic, but my understanding is i do not know how you make a space be something. it is going to be a bar, i would like to be the one to shepherd it into the future. supervisor campos: i appreciate your sincerity. i think that does come through. but i am committed to respecting the history of this kind of institution, even before i go down this path, and as you have said, it is a business deal, but for the community is more than just a business deal, why not take the time to do that out reach before you go down the path? why not take the time to actually understand before you

start talking about taking over this kind of establishment and find out what the concerns of the committee are. why not do that before the fact so you avoid the situation where you were actually three weeks tried to close the deal? >> sure. for starters, i have not done this before. i have not taken over a heritage site before. the answer to your question is timing and still is. if it benefits everyone to have more time, i guess that is fine, but i feel like the process is happening now. i have been educated about human ashes. i have been educated about billions of dollars raised. i have been told this is really important, and i am hearing it, and that is all i could start to

do. i can do my best to continue the process. it is not just about looking back, but if we're going to be doing this forward, also about forward-facing view. this is not just i have done my research, i get the point in been done. i seriously think the real goal is the next 10 years and everything going forward. neighbors, communities. that is how i see it. i really do apologize to everyone here for not reaching out more appropriately and sooner, but i do not plan on stopping here. i apologize. su." >> good morning, supervisors.

we have the understanding we would have a little bit of time to present today, so i hope i can move forward by statement. afterwards, we hope mark can have a chance to present as well. first of all, thank you everyone for coming out today and giving me the chance to speak with all of you. i am one of the partners on this project. i understand the lgbt community is very concerned about our ownership, and i hope to learn more as well as clean up -- clear of misinformation going on out there. i think a good place to start in how we became the loesser's. we just to work iured it severas

after hearing the landlord was unable to submit an offer in late june, we were told the person going to buy theng to an. we did not know it at the time, but later found out the previous buyer was a gay entrepreneurs or by the name of [inaudible] we knew the land board prepared -- prefer to have a tenant from the lgbt community. we were told the labor board needed someone who could close quickly because he had sick relatives depend on income and quality of operators we stepped up to the plate. on july 3 we signed the lease with expectations that the

liquor license would transfer shortly thereafter. are erroneously we assume there had been community are reached done up to that point. as we later found out, something was wrong. in hindsight we definitely realized the process could of been better in wish we had reached out earlier so you could all come to learn the story in a more timely manner. better late than never. looking forward, we really want to work with the community and development of the former eagle to listen to your ideas and incorporate them. we know we have huge shoes to fill and tremendous like to see to honor, and we take this very seriously. we also know it was a beacon of civic engagement and have no plans to change that. we will continue to hold a beer bust and continue to hold events for reform causes such as hiv. in addition, we intend to bring

back some of the important behan's. live music will remain an essential and vocal part of our business, and a plan on serving great-tasting drinks and are priced and an affordable price point with casual, friendly service. we wanted informal and approachable atmosphere that is conducive to eating and drinking. we both hope and expect many former patrons will return. we will be reliant on their patronage or in order to make the business work. at the end of the day we want to create a fund establishment with gay music that is neither a gay or straight bar, but just the eagles will not remaineda the same bar. regardless of who owns it. it was left in a very dilapidated condition. there are is major work that

continues to be done. this is a project the require skilled operators to continue the challenge of renovating and opening the space. our team is exceptionally well poised to do so. our team is comprised of export erts. bruce macdonald, danny hay, eli spear with 10 years of experience of the business, and myself, a local promoter and fund-raiser. we believe this project will be a great benefit to san francisco, and that after breyer and a half of being closed, time to get the door open again. this will create jobs in support of local musicians and provided sentences go with an outdoor entertainment space. we ask the liquor license before word for full consideration of the end of the hearing, because further delay would be really

expensive and a further setback. i could say the one last sentence. we plan on continuing dialogue with the community, and we would be happy to hold another forum for public input, if that is what is desired. thank you, and i look forward to hearing everyone's comments. professosupervisor kim: thank y. i understand the story with respect to the landlord. the previous record license that we had approved here on six straight, it just so you have a little bit of relevance, the owner of that site started are reachinoutreaching to our officx months ago, going to community meetings, meeting with the

community, coming into my office almost -- this is extreme, on a weekly basis. contacting our office on a weekly basis. even with a large transfer like target, they reached out to months before the transfer took place. i am not sure why you assumed it was not afford to come to us earlier. even if you could not, in march or april, as soon as you learned he was selecting your team, why you did not immediately contact our office, the district supervisor? >> i do again apologize for not reaching out sooner. it was clearly a mistake. however, it is the landlord liquor license, and we assumed with the hearing -- i believe we signed on july 3, and it was six days later.

we were very focused on construction and getting the necessary team together, legal documents, etc.. as i mentioned, we falsely assumed the dialogues have been happening during this whole time. that was our mistake. supervisor kim: even after i continue the item zero weeks ago, i have never heard from you or any other member of your team until friday morning. i am curious as to why that did not happen. also, why it had not begun with the community? >> we met someone in your office the week before. supervisor kim: you have not are read not outreached, and also wy you had not initiated meetings with the community.

the community and neighborhood started their own meetings. you or any member of your team could have attended those. >> we were unaware some of those meetings were occurring. we have reached out to mr. allen. it is our believe this is ongoing dialogue, so the construction project is a long one and a lot of work that needs to be done. we have a lot of time to gather that input and really take it seriously. sometimes doing these projects, sequential projects, and truthfully the concept is still evolving, and we're working on the dialogue ourselves. we have not decided on exactly what we're going to do, so we still have time to take that. we of a lot of time.

supervisor kim: i have to say normally the dialogue should happen before the transfer, and i agree there is plenty of time, and should happen before the transfer takes place. supervisor campos: thank you. i am wondering why it is you assume it was the landlord's responsibility to do this? i understand they hold a license, but if you are the ones and tried to take over the establishment. can you explain to me why you made that assumption. >> because it is the landlord;'s license, and we had assumed that out reach have been done, and furthermore, we were not a part of this deal until almost the end of june. we did not have much time to

react ourselves. there is a lot of work that goes into signing a lease and getting together this group and creating an operating agreement. we have to move on a very tight time frame after the previous operator declined to purchase. supervisor campos: the question before us is one of looking at public convenience or necessity, but something you said i found really striking, and again, i understand there are many different establishments in san francisco, and i also appreciate the fact that there are many spaces where you want to see gay and straight people congregate, and there are many places for that. that said, you have heard in the different e-mails that have gone out, the various public comments that have been made, that for

many of us in the lgbt community, this is hallowed ground. the eagle is part of our history, and establishment that has been an integral part in san francisco for so many years, and not just the lgbt community in san francisco, but abroad. so in light of that, i was really shocked that you would come here and say this is going to be neither a gay or straight bar. again, i think there are some cases where that is appropriate, many cases of beer that is appropriate, but when you're talking about taking over a clear landmarked and establishment that mean so much to this community, can you explain that? neither a gay or starighstraigh.

what does that mean/ >> i was under the impression that any business owner could purchase of the establishment. have you been through the eagle tavern after it closed? supervisor campos: appointee you my point to you is -- >> my point is the previous owners were from the lgbt community, and they trashed it. i have some photographs. if you could bring those up.

so as you can see, the place was destroyed and nearly unrecognizable. in some ways it is a clean slate, because obviously a considerable amount of work has to be done to get it back up to code and make it accessible. as far as being a gay or straight bar, i do not think it is up to us to dictate who can and cannot come to this been you. this then you will open its doors to everyone and welcome to everyone. i think that is all that is required. supervisor campos: there are the legal requirements that are part of this discussion that we will get into. i do not think any legal establishment can preclude

anyone from going in. the great thing about gay bars in san francisco or anywhere is that anyone is welcome and a very important part of the culture, but the question is in terms of the focus, the vision, i want to know more about what you mean by neither gay or straight bar, because this is a gay late march that has meant lot to the community. i think i get the gist of what you're trying to do. supervisorr kim: i know you met with commissioner allan and tied to work in the community. did you meet with any neighbors? >> members of the team did, yes. i believe some of them will be presenting today. supervisor kim: who will be

presenting? could you tell me -- theycould you tell me what theyl be presenting? >> our team reached out to local neighbors by knocking on doors. i know the landlord also went around and contacted some of the neighbors. i do not know in what fashion he did this. supervisor kim: i do not need to know what the landlord did. just what you did. >> our team has already been in dialogue with local people. we have not held a hearing or had an open forum for discussion at, but we are happy to do so. supervisor kim: ok, so you door- knocked some of the neighbors. when did you do this? >> i am guessing between july 3 and now. supervisor kim: ok, thank you.

supervisor elsbernd: thank you, a supervisor kim. why don't we proceed with public comment? for the folks are called were not in line, please do so. that is my cue on when to call work hard, when a shortened. >> -- when the line is short. >> my name is rebecca. i am a native san franciscan. supervisor elsbernd: please begin to the microphone. >> i grew up in san francisco. i have been part of the lgbt community. one of my greatest i school memories was being out with stop aids, probably as the youngest female member of the time. as an adult, i have been involved with san francisco

general and the haight ashbury clinics. i am a little nervous. i have also been involved in burning man and the art projects. i know eli spear personally. he is a close friend of mine. i have worked with him closely on projects. i know his dedication to the community and art is incredible. that is why i am here today, because i have been a patron of the eagle talon. i have loved the eagle tavern very much. i miss it. i am also here today to say it is empty right now. i know there is an amazing opportunity. i think is part of a group that can bring something special and new to the space. with their dedication, it can be a new place of art and community, music and bring everybody together. maybe not in the same way it used to be, but in a new way that we can also celebrate. thank you.

supervisor elsbernd: thank you. next speaker. >> it was very difficult to put together remarks. there are so many issues. my remarks are general. i agree the eagle is of the utmost importance to our community. i mourned the day it was closed. no one was a more loyal patronage than i was. i produced local shows there. i participated in hundreds of fund-raisers for aids. this was a bar that catered to the leather committee. it is expensive. i was the owner of mr. san francisco letter, miss san francisco weather, a founding member of international leather. in san francisco, the eagle is our home bar. i was going to tell you about the eagle through the years. instead, i decided to tell you something more important. the san francisco ego was never

the same after the death of jerry thompson in 1994. although they continue to do fund-raisers on sunday, business began to weigh in on other days. it was sold and renamed the eagle talon. although they continue to have fundraisers, it was never the same. the business plan did not work. the community support began to dissolve. keeping the doors closed and this building blighted is not in the best interest of the building owner or the community. i am concerned this body would try to tell the property owner what kind of business he can put in their or what sexual preference the operator had to have. [tone!] that would be a violation of property rights and a dangerous precedent to set. there is nothing in the code to suggest this should be denied. this location was a bar long before it was the eagle that opened in 1989. it will provide jobs and be an

economic benefit to the community. [tone!] thank you. supervisor elsbernd: thank you. next speaker. >> good morning, supervisors and members of the public. my name is naomi gatt. i work for an electrical contractor in the immediate neighborhood of the ego. i have also lived in the south of market neighborhood since 2000. it is my home. that is why i choose to live and work there. i look forward to the space that was formerly known as the eagle being opened again. not only is it a great space and location in terms of where my business is located, i also know eli spear personally and believe his intentions are honest and

that he will continue the philanthropic traditions of what the eagle has set forth already. i have discussed this with everyone i work with. we're all looking forward to it being open again and being a place to enjoy for personal functions and business functions. thank you for your time. supervisor elsbernd: 80 very much. next speaker. let me call a few more cards before you start. matt, brian green, harold smith, john, bane, michael, and autumn. go ahead. >> my name is chris. i have two angles to being here. eli spear helped me to build my bar in oakland.

he did a great job of designing something beautiful that added to the area. also, he helped philosophically to design a bar that captured the essence of the community. as a result, i am incredibly proud of my place. the debate -- the feedback is that he does a good job of meeting the desires and needs of relevant numbers. i am here so i can testify that is what he will create and design here. second, i have been living at 374 11th street for the past three years with my girlfriend. the irony of living in a neighborhood full of nightclubs and bars is there are none that cater to an increasingly diverse community in that area. it is rapidly changing. it is diverse, anyway you want to cut it. the goal was the closest. even though my girlfriend was always afraid it was going to fall down on her, that is where

we went. i think it is perfectly sensible and beautifully logical issued transformed into something that serves the entire community in a reverse neighborhood. supervisor elsbernd: 80 very much. next speaker. >> good morning, supervisors. my name is peter. i am 42 years old. i have lived in san francisco for 33 years. i have worked in bars and clubs in this city since i was 16 in one capacity or another. when i was 19, iran the biggest gay nightclub in san francisco, colossus. i did this job for over three years. at no time did anyone ever asked me if i was straight or gay or otherwise. i got the job and kept the job because i was the guy for the job.

eli is the guy for this job. he is an artist. he is a musician. he is an integral part of the burning and community in san francisco, which is neither de- nor street. those folks are all over the place. which are as neither gay or straight. it should not matter that he is not day or part of the leather community. the first club by open in san francisco was predominately gay. i hosted the official after party. it did not matter that i was still straight. frankly, as i was sitting here writing the speech, ivan was the guy everyone wanted to take the space over, but he runs straight in use. [tone!] thank you. supervisor elsbernd: next

speaker. >> i am a local business owner in san francisco. i have to do businesses. one in the financial business and one in selma. i currently live in the mission district. and here to observe our government process. i have not been that involved in our local government proceedings. what i am looking for is a government that abides by the spirit of the law, does not get caught up in procedures as much as progress. i think what these gentlemen are doing with the space going to be great for that area, great for a space that has been closed for a year-and-a-half. i bike by and would love to stop by for a beer on the way home from work. i knew to offer my support in favor of these guys building out the space. -- i am here to offer my support in favor of these guys building out the space. supervisor elsbernd: 80. next speaker. >> my name is air.

--ari. i run a charity called reason to party. in the comments, something stuck out from supervisor jim -- kim, dealing with the community in good faith. the goat tavern was not a place for me. i never felt -- the eagle talon was not a place for me. i never felt compelled to go there. the other was for the gay community. we hosted a big holiday party there. we threw events there. hearing the comments, i want to address the fact that we started off as a gay party. we serve the younger demographics, 21 to 40. no one cares. in that group, a lot of people do not care. it closed down and we went to badlands, tem